Eukaryotes modifications

Sefton, B., and Buss, J. E., 1987. The covalent modification of eukaryotic proteins widi Journal of Cell Biology 104 1449-1453. 

GPI anchoring is a posttranslational modification occurring in the endoplasmic reticulum where preassembled GPI anchor precursors are transferred to proteins bearing a C-terminal GPI signal sequence. The GPI anchor precursors are synthesized in the endoplasmic reticulum by sequential addition of sugar and other components to phosphatidylinositol. Protein GPI anchors are ubiquitous in eukaryotic cells. In mammalian cells, GPI anchored proteins are often found in lipid rafts which are subdomains of the plasma membrane, containing various signaling components. 

Many other peptides are synthesized as proproteins that require modifications before attaining biologic activity. Many of the posttranslational modifications involve the removal of amino terminal amino acid residues by specific aminopeptidases. Collagen, an abundant protein in the extracellular spaces of higher eukaryotes, is synthesized as procollagen. Three procol-... 

Ghromatin modifications are important in eukaryotic transcription control. 

Post-translational modification of proteins plays a critical role in cellular function. For, example protein phosphorylation events control the majority of the signal transduction pathways in eukaryotic cells. Therefore, an important goal of proteomics is the identification of post-translational modifications. Proteins can undergo a wide range of post-translational modifications such as phosphorylation, glycosylation, sulphonation, palmitoylation and ADP-ribosylation. These modifications can play an essential role in the function of the protein and mass spectrometry has been used to characterize such modifications. 

In the nuclei of all eukaryotic cells, DNA is tightly wrapped around an octamer of histone proteins and is compacted into a dense structure known as chromatin. In order to access the genetic information which is required in numerous essential cellular processes including DNA replication, gene expression and DNA repair, chromatin needs to be partially unwound. One important mechanism to regulate chromatin structure and thus to control the access of the genomic DNA is through histone modifications [1-6]. The histone octamer is composed of two copies of H2A, H2B, H3 and H4 core histone proteins. Their tails, that protrude out of the surface of the... 

B. brevis is not so well studied. It also shows low extracellular protease activity, and a protease-deficient strain is available [43]. High [44] and low [45] copy number plasmids are constructed for different levels of expression. Modification of signal sequences can enhance yields of eukaryotic proteins [46]. The yields can be up to 3 gL-1 media. 

Insect cell systems represent multiple advantages compared with mammalian cell cultures (1) they are easier to handle (Table 2.1) (2) cultivation media are usually cheaper (3) they need only minimum safety precautions, as baculovirus is harmless for humans (4) they provide most higher eukaryotic posttranslational modifications and heterologous eukaryotic proteins are usually obtained in their native conformation (5) the baculovirus system is easily scalable to the bioreactor scale. However, because of the viral nature of the system, continuous fermentation for transient expression is not possible - the cells finally die. 

Eukaryotic cells utilize an efficient transport system that delivers macromolecules fast and secure to their destination. In the case of the small GTP binding proteins of the Ras family the modified C-terminus seems to be sufficient for addressing the polypeptide to its target membrane (in the case of Ras itself the plasma membrane). Lipopeptides with the C-terminal structure of N-Ras (either a pen-tamer with a C-terminal carboxymethylation and farnesylation or a heptapeptide with a palmitoyl thioester in addition) and a N-terminal 7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-l,3-diazolyl (NBD) fluorophore were microin-jected into NIH3T3 fibroblast cells and the distribution of the fluorophore was monitored by confocal laser fluorescence microscopy. Enrichment of the protein in the plasma membrane was efficient only for peptides with two hydrophobic modification sites, while the farnesylated but not palmitoylated peptide was distributed in the cytosol.1121... 

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